Archive for
October 28th, 2011

The NBA announced today that it has canceled all games through November 30 because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association.

“We share the frustrations of our fans, partners, and those who rely on our game for their livelihoods,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. “We remain committed to reaching an agreement that’s fair for both the teams and the players and allows for the long-term growth of our game.”

In Friday’s press conference, NBA Commissioner David Stern said “you need 30 days to play.”

“The calendar takes care of our games,” said Stern about the canceled dates.

On November 12 and 13, 2011, five-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard will host the Dwight Howard All-Star Celebrity Weekend. The weekend kicks off on Saturday, November 12th with a Celebrity Bowling Tournament being held at Broadwalk Bowl in Orlando. Fans can join in by playing on a team or just watching. Then on Sunday, November 13th, the D12 All-Star Game will bring together an All-Star group of former and current NBA players on the campus of the University of Central Florida (“UCF”).

Joining Dwight on the court will be former Orlando Magic All-Stars and some of the finest players in the NBA including Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Matt Barnes, Penny Hardaway, Chris Duhon, Jason Richardson and Courtney Lee. All proceeds from this weekend of friendly competition for a good cause will benefit the D12 Foundation & its programs.

InsideHoops.com will post more players and much more when complete information becomes available.

In 2011, the NBA Community Assist Award winner expanded his focus and launched the D12 Foundation whose mission is to “plant seeds, cultivate them and watch them grow.” The four main pillars that this foundation will support include youth education, healthy and activity, character and leadership development and disaster relief.

“This entire off-season I have concentrated on not only perfecting my game, but also making this world a better place. I had an idea that would allow me to do both,” Dwight Howard comments on the idea of hosting the D12 All-Star Weekend in Orlando. “We are excited to bring back some familiar faces to Orlando and our current guys for a fun weekend and good game that will benefit our local and worldwide charitable efforts.”

The Bowling Event will take place on November 12 at Boardwalk Bowl, doors opening at 7 PM. Tickets and sponsorships for bowling are available at www.d12foundation.org.

Tickets for the D12 All-Star Game will go on sale today at 10:00am. Tickets are $100, $65, $45 and $25.00 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the UCF Arena Box Office. Students will valid UCF I.D. can purchase tickets for $20 at the UCF Arena Box Office. The game will kick off at 7 PM with doors opening at 6 PM.

Again, check this page soon for more info about the rosters, more players being involved and everything else.

Walker had four double-doubles on the season, all coming in the last six games of the year. Walker scored a season-high 29 points at Dakota on Jan. 16 and grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds on March 26 at Austin.

“I can’t wait to get back to Boise,” Walker said. “It’s a great place to live and I’m hoping I can help this team make the playoffs and win a championship – we’ve got some unfinished business to tend to.”

A veteran of 12 NBA seasons, Walker has career averages of 17.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 893 games (707 starts). Walker made All-Star game appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2003, starting alongside Michael Jordan in the 2002 game in Philadelphia.

Walker has played for the Boston Celtics (seven-plus seasons), Dallas Mavericks (one season), Atlanta Hawks (part of one season), Miami Heat (two seasons) and Minnesota Timberwolves (one season). His last stint in the NBA was in 2007-08 with the T’Wolves, playing 46 games (1 start).

In the NBA playoffs, Walker has career averages of 16.1 points, 7.1 Rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 64 games. Walker averaged 13.3 points per game with the Miami Heat in 2005-06 when the club won its first-ever NBA Championship.

Walker was the sixth overall selection in the 1996 NBA Draft, making the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1997. Stampede Head Coach Randy Livingston was taken 42nd overall in that same draft class.

Before his professional career, Walker played two seasons at the University of Kentucky under coach Rick Pitino. The Wildcats won the NCAA Championship in 1996 with Walker averaging 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Born August 12, 1976, Walker is a former McDonald’s All-American from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Ill.

Walker last played in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008-09; he then signed with the Guaynabo Mets, a team in the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional basketball league.

With one spectacular play after another, supertalent Nicolas Batum made the first home game of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague season one to remember for the home fans in Nancy as the hosts pulled away to their first victory, 87-73 over Bizkaia Bilbao Basket on Thursday. Batum not only played nearly the entire game and flirted with a triple-double, but took over with 11 points in a 15-0 run in the final three minutes. The final boxscore showed the mercurial small forward to have a Euroleague career high 26 points – including making 11 of 12 free throws – plus 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 11 fouls drawn.

That impressive performance left Batum with a performance index rating of 36, which was the most of any player in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague this week and earned Batum the bwin MVP honor for Week 2 of the regular season.

Though Batum’s was the best, it was not the only impressive showing of the week. Olympiacos Piraeus forward Georgios Printezis and KK Zagreb big man Sean May tied for the second-best index ratings of week 2 with 31. Printezis had his best scoring night in two-and-a-half seasons with 21 points on perfect shooting and also recorded 7 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in an 81-74 victory over Fenerbahce Ulker.